The Job Whisperer ®

I’m Cathy Martin,  The Job Whisperer ®.

Although my first real job was teaching figure skating, my first adult job was in the employment department of a major department store in Pittsburgh (shout out to Jim Downing, who hired me; I have no idea why he did that).  I walked in one day looking for a personnel job and they put me to work as a temp calculating pension plan balances.  Finished that, and they moved me over to Employment, where I interviewed walk-in candidates, hundreds of them, day in and day out.  I loved it.  Loved the people, loved the store, loved the coworkers, and was so bad at the job that everyone just shook their heads.

My problem was that I could only see potential, I could never see the  risk in hiring slightly off-center (okay, sometimes way off) candidates.  I was twenty-one, and I had no idea what I was doing, having never actually been taught to interview, let alone make selection decisions.  I didn’t last long as an interviewer, but Mr. Downing was nice enough not to fire me, another decision I don’t quite understand but do appreciate to this day.  Instead, I was moved around until we all found out what I was good at, which turned out to be strategy, problem solving, and coaching.  I was a generalist, who knew?  I was promoted to management, stayed all of about five years and left for more money, a new industry, and a lot more responsibility.

Over the next many years I held management or executive jobs in HR in manufacturing, retailing, distribution, sales, medical device, biotech, and youth services, and consulting industries.  I worked in big companies and small companies, hired and coached (and sometimes fired) presidents, secretaries, salespeople, machine operators, scientists, financial wizards, security guards, camp counselors, teachers, social workers, fundraisers, warehouse workers, payroll managers, programmers, business developers, analysts, statisticians, recruiters, veterinarians, marketers, directors of one thing, vp’s of another, you name it.  I’ve organized HR professionals and executives around workforce and talent initiatives, served on the inaugural Board of Directors of Workforce Florida, chaired the First Jobs Council, and helped almost all of my friends get a great job, at one time or another.  I’m a tireless recruiter for Florida, home of the very brave.  I love speaking to audiences large and small about jobs, work, and talent, and am often asked to do just that.

I help people launch the career they want or get the job they need, by breaking the process down and making sense of the steps.

I charge for my coaching services, a minimum of $95 an hour, depending on what you want me to help with and how many of you want some help (I work with small groups and I think that’s the best way to approach this subject).  I usually charge for speaking engagements as well, but not always.  Contact me and we can talk.

Cathy Martin

The Job Whisperer ®

cathy@thejobwhisperer.com